Articles by Shin Ji-hye
Shin Ji-hye
shinjh@heraldcorp.com-
[Newsmaker] Migrants’ voting rights in firing line
Amid growing anti-China sentiment in the nation, some South Koreans are calling for foreign permanent residents’ right to vote to be abolished because a majority of them are Chinese. On April 28, a petition was posted on the website of presidential Blue House with the title of “Foreigners’ voting rights (location election) are unconstitutional. It has to be abolished.” The writer of the post said, “(We) respect and don’t discriminate against foreigners.
Social Affairs May 9, 2021
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[Feature] Gender-based conflicts escalate in Korea
Gender-based conflicts are escalating in South Korea with men becoming more gender sensitive and beginning to make their voices heard about feminists. Last week, police investigated female comedian Park Na-rae over allegations of sexual harassment after receiving a complaint from the petition site e-People. During her YouTube entertainment show in March, she playfully pushed a male doll’s arm toward its groin while changing the doll’s clothes. Following the program, thousa
Social Affairs May 6, 2021
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Controversy brews over online quasi-real name system
Controversy is brewing over the pros and cons of a bill that would obligate netizens to fully disclose their usernames in posts and comments online. A National Assembly subcommittee approved an amendment to the information and communications network act late last month, mandating the so-called “quasi-real name system” to protect victims from malicious comments. The bill, proposed by Rep. Park Dae-chool of the People Power Party, calls for the full disclosure of the usernames of t
Social Affairs May 3, 2021
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COVID-19 self-test kits hit pharmacy shelves
Sales of coronavirus self-test kits that offer results in 30 minutes began on Friday at pharmacies nationwide. Hanmi Pharmaceutical started distributing bio-diagnostic firm SD Biosensor’s at-home test kits nationwide through its affiliate, Online Pharm, which specializes in pharmacy sales and distribution. It will also be available on its website (www.hanmiprocalm.com) for ordinary customers. With the kit, a user can check whether they test positive or not within 15 to 30 minutes afte
Social Affairs April 30, 2021
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South Korea to extend social distancing rules for another three weeks
South Korea has decided to extend the current social distancing measures and the ban on gatherings of more than five people for another three weeks. Currently, Level 2 is in place in Seoul and surrounding regions, and Level 1.5 in other parts of the country. Acting Prime Minister Hong Nam-ki said Friday at a meeting of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, “We cannot relax, with 661 confirmed cases of COVID-19 coming out the previous day.” “In May,
Social Affairs April 30, 2021
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Single-person households in Seoul outnumber other kinds
Single-person households accounted for 33.3 percent of all households in Seoul, making them the most common type of household in the city. The hardest part of living alone was difficulty coping with sickness or emergencies, a survey showed Thursday. The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced the results of its 2020 Seoul Welfare Survey, which involved 4,000 households and took place over two months beginning in November. After single-person households, the next most common were two-person h
Social Affairs April 29, 2021
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[#WeFACE] Study hones in on radioactive materials to track fine dust origins
South Korean researchers are turning to analyses of radioactive materials present in fine dust in hopes that it will better help them track down origins of the hazardous air pollutants. While scientists have often pointed to China as one of the main culprits, it has been difficult to prove the scope of the impact on Korea because Beijing does not disclose the latest information on its fine dust emissions. The Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, a government-funded institute established
Social Affairs April 28, 2021
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[Animals in Korea (4)] Why we should care about animal cruelty in farms
On a sunny day in April, a truck carrying pigs approached a slaughterhouse in Gyeonggi Province. When the truck arrived, workers prodded the pigs to come out, but they would not move down the steep ramp. Workers responded by beating them with clubs, and the pigs hurried out squealing. The squealing continued until they moved to where they were slaughtered. This is only a glimpse of the animal abuse and cruelty involved in transporting animals from farms to holding pens and slaughterhouses,
Social Affairs April 26, 2021
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Politicians call for leniency for boy accused of damaging by-election posters
Politicians and the public have appealed for leniency for a middle school student who faces legal punishment for allegedly damaging election posters ahead of the April 7 mayoral by-election in Seoul. The 13-year-old boy is accused of damaging posters of Park Young-sun of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea and Kim Jin-ah of the minor Women’s Party with a wooden ice cream stick at an apartment complex in Seocho-gu early this month, according to the police. While under questioning he
Social Affairs April 25, 2021
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[#WeFACE] Japan’s contaminated water release will ‘play havoc’ on human health: ecologists, nuclear experts
Japan’s planned release of contaminated water from the wrecked Fukushima nuclear plant will play havoc with human health and is more hazardous than that of Wolseong nuclear plant’s in 2016, experts say. Japan announced last week it would discharge more than 1.25 million metric tons of contaminated water from the nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean, arguing the radioactive water will not pose a threat to human health. However, Korean experts warn high-risk radioactive mater
Social Affairs April 24, 2021
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Assembly speaker calls for vaccine cooperation from Europe
National Assembly Speaker Park Byeong-seug held talks with European Parliament President David Sassoli on Tuesday to discuss pending issues such as the supply of COVID-19 vaccines, Japan‘s wastewater release and peace process on the Korean Peninsula, among others. During the dialogue via video link, Park asked for Sassoli’s attention and cooperation from the European Parliament to allow vaccines produced in Europe to be introduced to Korea in a timely manner. Korea’s vaccin
Politics April 21, 2021
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Moon nominates new prime minister in Cabinet shake-up
President Moon Jae-in has nominated former Interior Minister Kim Boo-kyum as his third prime minister and is replacing five other ministers as part of a major Cabinet shake-up, Cheong Wa Dae said Friday. The ministers in charge of industry, land, labor, science and oceans are set to be replaced in the reshuffle, and key Cheong Wa Dae staff are to be reorganized. The reshuffle is seen as an attempt to stabilize state affairs at the end of Moon’s term after the ruling party lost mayoral
Politics April 16, 2021
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Drug crimes by foreign nationals rise
The number of foreign nationals booked for drug offenses in South Korea has risen 140 percent in two years, despite an overall decrease on the foreign crime rate here, police data showed. According to Rep. Kang Ki-yoon of the People Power Party, National Police Agency data, based on the number of bookings, shows a gradual increase in crimes committed by foreign nationals, coming to 36,069 in 2017, 34,832 in 2018, 39,249 in 2019 and 39,140 in 2020. The increase has been slower than the overal
Social Affairs April 15, 2021
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[#WeFACE] Where should Seoul’s garbage go?
A conflict over landfills has arisen with Incheon refusing to receive garbage from Seoul and Gyeonggi Province beginning in 2025. Experts say Seoul and Gyeonggi Province should look to reducing garbage to better persuade Incheon. Sudokwon Landfill in Incheon has been taking waste from the metropolitan area since 1992. The first and second parts of the landfills were used between 1992 and 2018. The initial phase of the third part, or 3-1 landfill, is being used between 2018 and 2025 by Seoul, I
Social Affairs April 14, 2021
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Seoul mayor's self-test kit plan faces widespread opposition
Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon’s idea of using self-test kits as part of a “Seoul-type social distancing” is facing opposition from medical experts, the ruling party and the central government, who question their effectiveness. On Monday, Oh proposed a plan to allow customers to enter restaurants, bars and karaoke late at night after conducting self-tests using kits. This could help ease restrictions on business hours, allowing nightlife entertainment businesses to remain open until
Social Affairs April 13, 2021
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